RETURN TO RAPTURE IN THIS WONDERFULLY REFINED SEQUEL!

RETURN TO RAPTURE IN THIS WONDERFULLY REFINED SEQUEL!

Almost four years have passed since we gamers first got a taste of the underwater utopia of Rapture, in the years that have followed the world of Bioshock as become as loved as any other in the industry. So much so that when news hit that a sequel was in development, many responded angrily claiming that such a classic did not require a sequel. Yet the video game industry is run like any other, through cash and with the original game selling more then four million copies a sequel was always going to eventually happen. But could such a sequel recreate the mystery and emotion that the original Bioshock bred so well or would it simply be a quick cash-in on popularity? 
 

Bioshock 2 takes place ten or so years after the events of the first game, with Rapture still the dilapidated insane asylum you fondly remember. Splicers still walk the water drenched corridors, Big Daddy's stomp their dominance as they protect the precious Little Sister's who continually gather Adam, the all important source of chaos in this once beautiful underwater city and then we have Subject Delta, a specifically developed advanced Big Daddy whose point of view you experience Bioshock 2's tale from. Of course we mustn't forget the Big Sister's, whose acrobatic and energetic fighting style makes them a challenging enemy to fight. But what of the tale it as to weave?  
 
Like any Big Daddy, you as Subject Delta are bound to a Little Sister who you must protect at all costs. That specific Little Sister goes by the name of Eleanor Lamb, who is taken from you ten years prior and who you must locate if you and her are to survive. As you would expect, there are many layers to the story which are worth experiencing for yourself, you come across many more mysterious stories found throughout Rapture and the sequel does a great job of recreating some of the wonderment that made the original so loved. Sofia Lamb is the mother of Eleanor Lamb and the Andrew Ryan like nemesis trying to stop Subject Delta rescuing her daughter, to stop you she will send the 'family' of Rapture against you in the form of Splicers, Big Daddy's and Brutes, who are powerfully large Splicers who have the strength to send large object flying your way.  
 
Much of the arching tale helps develop the back stories and general lore of Rapture to some degree, never feeling odd or out of place. It sits well when compared to the events of the original with the fall of Rapture between Atlus and Andrew Ryan, not to mention some rather special extra treats for example the wonderful Andrew Ryan inspired amusement park which will surely cause a chuckle. It's good to see both care and thought put into the overall story, when it was all to easy to throw in some forgettable tale that would neither add anything exciting or worthwhile. It helps that both gameplay and mechanics have been better defined in the sequel, creating an adventure that rarely feels frustrating or lacklustre.   
 
Gameplay generally feels more refined and better in tune with most shooters available today, the ability to now dual wield both a plasmid power and a firearm goes a long way to removing some of the frustration players had with the original Bioshock, and gun play simply feels more precise and satisfying. There welcomed improvements that at times makes some of the games more action orientated moments a pleasure to experience. The same can be said for the weaponry in general, which you will continually be upgrading with extra treats to help you in battle. Hacking is another area of the game that as seen change, gone is the pipe connecting mini game of the first title to be replaced by a simple yet effective time specifically controlled game in which you must hit green or even blue sections of the device without setting off alarms.  
 

The improvements help the thought of a sequel make perfect sense, and you might even be shocked by just how poor the original game handled when the action got heated after playing Bioshock 2. You'll no longer die due to frustratingly sluggish controls even though weapon and plasmid selection can still feel like a chore at times, it's hard to see any other means to do this sort of selection though so it is somewhat forgiveable. It's rather frustrating that despite these advances in the way Bioshock 2 handles, the game often struggles to keep up with the on-screen action with framerate slowdowns found throughout. 
 
Using pretty much the same exact Unreal Engine that powered the first game, Bioshock 2 can at times be a mixed bag visually. Offering some stunning scenes with a great use of lighting, colours and artistic design while at other moments suffering from the usual inability to load textures and a framerate that can be far from stable. The graphical presentation is so alike the original Bioshock that it's hard to see if anything as been upgraded when it comes to the visual workings, this is frustrating and rather disappointing. That said, Bioshock 2 is saved by a wonderful use of artistic design that is wonderful to view and appreciate. Weaponry, characters and locations all have great personalities and there continues to be a great use of originality throughout Rapture.  
 
Thankfully the use of audio throughout the game is award winning, great use of period specific music and an orchestral atmospheric soundtrack help you get truly immersed into the world of Rapture all over again. Voice-overs are some of the best out there, helping the story feel like it as a purpose when compared to the original game and the well thought out small audio touches are both creepy and thrilling at the same time. Hearing a Big Daddy cry out in pain as battle erupts hasn't lost any of it's impact nor as the sound of splicers chatting away as they search for Adam. It's an audio treat till the end and one that as clearly been handled with great care on the part of the development teams.  
 
The single player story will last a good eight to ten hours depending on how many audio logs or general item looting you do, but that's not the end of your time in Rapture as Bioshock 2 features a rather promising take on multiplayer. True it's far from a much required feature for the franchise, but it's one that as potential and works rather well when you can actually connect and play against others. Multiplayer modes might be given different names, but they will be familiar to anyone whose played any multiplayer title. You have your usual deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag games with Bioshock's related twists for added impact and personality. A prologue provides a welcomed reason for the mode to make sense and the interesting use of plasmids and firearms in the multiplayer makes it a mode worthy of some of your time. It's no Modern Warfare 2 beater, but offers an interesting take on the familiar if and when you can connect as my time with the mode was hit endlessly with connection problems. 
 

At first the whole thought of a sequel to Bioshock left me wondering why, why did one of the greatest games created in the past decade require a sequel. Yet having played Bioshock 2, a sequel or possibly even more Bioshock games make perfect sense. It won't satisfy all, but Bioshock 2 does a wonderful job of keeping the great qualities of what made the original so loved throughout it's single player story while also refining many of the flaws gamers had with it. A fantastic sequel that is only really let down by an ageing engine that struggles to match or handle what the story throws at you. An interesting take on multiplayer only adds to what is a worthy sequel to a classic game. 
 
 

SCORE: 4.5 STARS OUT OF 5.

 
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